Falling Hopes
by Wandering Letters
Summary: Kit Matthews is the last of his family. After going through much loss during his childhood and teenaged years, he continues to survive in the only way he knows how: cleverness. He seeks to one day help to rebuild mankind after the outbreak...but are these hopes realistic? Only time will tell. Set 7 years into the outbreak. OC Driven. Pre-Last Of Us. Rated T but may increase.
1. The Last Of The Family

**(A/N): Hello my friends. My absence has been a shock to you all but life's really gotten in the way of just about everything (and I almost ceased being Wandering Letters due to an asthma attack that almost killed me). It was a hectic past two months and it only promises to continue but I managed to salvage some time to write an idea I've been toying with for a while.**

**As I'm sure all of you know (because you wouldn't be here unless you know about the damn game), **_**The Last Of Us**_** ended up being one of the best games of our generation. As much as I enjoyed Naughty Dog's characters, especially in that of Ellie, I ended up becoming fascinated with the world they created. It always fascinated me as to just how an apocalypse could happen and thus far, this is probably the closest thing to a believable scenario.**

**With that in mind, I decided to write my own story based in the universe. I might make a few cameos here and there but primarily, this will be a story driven work based on a character I've written up for a book I am currently writing (yes I'm writing a book). If any of you would like to, I wouldn't mind adding a few people into this story to make it a mini sign up style. It won't be on the caliber of my other ones but interaction with my readers is something I value highly.**

**I hope you guys enjoy this little attempt at doing something a bit more original, which is a departure from what I usually do.**

* * *

**The Last Of The Family**

* * *

Another cold night in the Washington wilderness passed by quickly as the familiar chirp of the birds filled the air. Loud rustling soon followed as the creature sprinted, hoping to escape from its pursuer. Leaping off of a high ledge, the deer was certain that he managed to escape but primal instinct drove him onward, cutting through the foliage as if it were merely an illusion. Finally, he was satisfied and stopped to catch his breath, approaching the small river for a well needed drink. Mere seconds later, he heard a loud rustle and as he looked, the whistle of an arrow flew through the air until a sharp pain entered his leg. The deer stumbled, unable to get into a sprinting form until a second arrow shot, this time in the stomach. He collapsed to the floor, frantically crying for help but it was no use as his pursuer finally caught up to him. Leaping from the tree he scaled, he approached his prize before looking down at it sadly.

"I am truly sorry,"

He quickly ended the deer's suffering with the stab of his combat knife into the head. He released a breath and was still within seconds. The man closed his eyes, silently praying that the innocent soul he just slew would find peace as he returned to the tree. With the tug of a rope, he pulled down what he called a "salvaging kit" which was comprised of a small sled and some rope. He fastened his kill to the sled before ensuring that the rope was properly tied. Satisfied with his handiwork, he pulled the sled towards his home.

"_I should be able to eat fine for the next week if I portion this correctly…now all I need to do is go back to the main river for water,"_

Within fifteen minutes, he finally reached his shelter. He removed the deer's carcass before leaving it in the small house. Securing the door with the trap as well as locking it with the key, he quickly picked up another bag and set off for the river, bow in hand. Not ten minutes later, he approached the familiar sound of running water. He sighed softly in relief; it was certainly beginning to feel peaceful after the disaster that was the previous week. A group of looters finally cut their losses and fled the area after having camped there at the start of last week. Kit Matthews knew that he wouldn't know peace until they had finally left his home for good. As he filled his bottles and containers with fresh water, he thought back to the things he did in order to ensure that they left.

For several hours daily for the first three days, Kit followed them through the woods to learn their patterns and luckily for him, they relied on the same water source as he did. Considering that he had spent nearly one year in the area, it was a place that he could find no matter how far he ventured especially with the markers that showed when he went beyond the "safe zone". During one of his ventures outside, Kit found a good number of infected that wandered the area and designated a zone where he would not cross under any circumstance; he hadn't the firepower nor the stamina to battle that many of the infected.

On the fifth day, Kit decided to make his move and pick off the looters one by one until a full group of twelve was reduced to merely three. By the sixth day, the looters were already in full retreat and even though they knew the infected where not far from them, they decided to cut their losses and leave. He gained a great many resources from that group, including the bags that he now placed strategically in trees and around the environment for emergencies. He was also smart enough to take some time to dispose of the bodies, often carrying them near the end of the safe zone to scare off other intruders by using them as would be effigies.

After a few more minutes, Kit was satisfied with the water he gathered and prepared to return home. It was then that he cursed to himself.

"_I forgot to reset the traps by Sector G…I'd better go do that before the sun goes down,"_

He packed his bag before taking the water back to home. He quickly grabbed a compass that he took from one of the looters and a small bag that contained some tools before setting off towards his designated zone. That particular zone was a great place for hunting as dear often came there for the more plentiful grass. It was also a great place for Kit to lose pursuers as the trees were easy to scale in order to lose them in the foliage. Upon arriving 20 minutes later, Kit was horrified to see more people. Putting the hood of his jacket over his head and pulling the mask up from his shirt to hide his mouth, he placed the bag down before scaling a tree and making his way over to the group as silently as he could. He paused upon reaching a firmer tree and looked down at the intruders. Much to his surprise, it was a woman with two men trailing behind her. Her hands were bound and the men had wicked smiles on their faces.

"Glad this one escaped huh?"  
"She's a looker I'll tell ya,"

Kit had to agree with them; the woman was very beautiful indeed albeit with a few cuts. He could only imagine what the men did to her to make her limp away so helplessly.

"We've been following her for a few kilometers now Martin…maybe it's time we just let her go?"

The taller man shook his head.

"She knows the location of the camp…no way can we let her live," he said.

Kit's eyes widened as he saw the taller man raise a revolver.

"Come on man…who the fuck's she gonna tell? Ain't no one out in these parts," said the shorter man.  
"Just because she's pretty don't mean she should be treated any different Fred," he snapped.

Fred cringed at the suddenly violent tone and the angry look on Martin's face.

"We can't let anyone know about that place…there's too much hard work put into it and we had to rob a lotta wanderers to get that shit…ain't no way I'm riskin' my shit just cause a pretty face is helpless," he snapped.

Kit clenched his bow and prepared to leave until he caught a glimpse of the woman's face. She was shedding tears and with her mouth covered with duct tape, she couldn't even call out for help. Kit knew that if he didn't help her, she was as good as dead…but what would he gain by doing that?

"Sorry girly…end of the line," said Martin.

The woman turned back and shut her eyes tight before letting out a muffled scream. The shot however never came and she looked up only to see an arrow in the chest of Martin. Fred cursed loudly before grabbing his friend and taking cover behind a tree. Martin cursed and removed the arrow, thankful that it did not find a fatal location.

"Whoever the hell made these things…knows how to carve," he said.

He looked around, trying to find the source of the shot until a second one met his knee and pierced right through it. He yelled loudly in pain and fell to the ground. The woman looked around in the trees, noticing them rustling loudly and seeing a black figure moving rather speedily through them. Martin looked around, desperate to find his assailant until a third arrow met his shoulder. He dropped the gun, feeling almost nothing in his arm as Fred rushed to his side. He picked up the gun and scanned the trees but found no trace of the assailant.

Suddenly, a black figure fell from the tree and landed on Martin. The impact of the drop made Martin's good leg make an audible snap, indicating that there was no way he could walk. Before Fred could even pull the trigger, Kit kicked the gun out of his hand, sending it flying into the tall grass and out of sight. Fred threw a punch at him but Kit caught the blow before striking him in the chest, knocking the wind clean out of his lungs. As Fred tried to recover, Kit swung his leg around and collided with his temple, knocking him to the ground. Fred looked up, dazed until he saw his assailant.

Fred attempted to reach for the revolver in his belt but the whoosh of a knife went through the air until the sickening sound of steel cleaving flesh was heard. Fred screamed in agony as the knife lodged itself within his shoulder. Kit looked down at Martin who was still in agony from his broken leg before abruptly snapping his neck. Kit closed his eyes as he turned to Fred who was trying desperately to remove the knife from his shoulder.

"If you remove that knife, you'll bleed to death," he said.

His tone was almost deadly.

"I have no interest in why you chased this woman out here but you're in my territory and I don't allow unwanted visitors," he snapped.

Kit approached him, murder clear in his eyes.

"Does anyone else know that you're out here?" he asked.

Fred's eyes were desperate.

"No one knows…please…don't kill me," he begged.

Kit closed his eyes

"You lost your right to live the moment you pulled a gun on me," he replied.

Fred tried to throw a punch but Kit caught his hand and twisted his wrist.

"I'm going to ask you one more question…why were you chasing that woman?" he asked.  
"That was Martin's idea! He wanted to fuck her brains out but he got carried away! He's one of those S&M type guys man!" he shouted.  
"Then why did you follow him?" he asked.  
"He saved me from the infected…but he dragged me along with him wherever he went because he wanted a lackey…" he groaned.

Kit's eyes narrowed.

"Please man…I didn't want to hurt her…I was just doing what I was told," he groaned.

Kit looked at the woman only to see that she had fainted. He closed his eyes.

"With that knife wound…there's no way that you'll make it back to your camp…I'm sorry," he said.

Fred began to shed tears.

"I shouldn't have followed Martin…I should've just left when I had the chance," he cried.

Kit looked down at the man and released his wrist.

"I can end it quickly for you…you don't have to suffer," he said.

Fred cried softly.

"I had a girlfriend back before the outbreak…things were supposed to be great…until she turned," he cried.

Kit could feel his heartstrings tugging away.

"I guess I can be with her now…" he said.

Fred let himself fall to the grass before he looked at the woman.

"That girl was a joy to have at the camp…she was so pleasant and nice to everyone…can you do me a favor and take care of her?" he asked.

Kit looked at her before looking back at him.

"I know you're probably thinking it'll be easier on your own…but you need people around or you'll lose your humanity…" he said.

He then looked at Martin.

"You'll be no better than him…or those things that eat folks," he said.

Kit closed his eyes once more.

"You don't have to listen to me…but you're a good man…no one offers a mercy kill to someone they just met unless they have a good heart," he said.

He coughed up a small amount of blood.

"If you won't let her stay with you…at least nurse her back to health…Martin beat her so much that I was amazed she made it this far," he said.

Kit nodded and Fred smiled. He nodded at him as Kit removed his combat knife from the wound before quickly striking a fatal blow to his heart.

"Thanks kid…"

His body soon went limp. Kit let out a breath of sadness as he shut Fred's eyes. He removed Fred's bag from his back and salvaged everything he could use from it, taking the radio, walkie talkie and the bandages he had as well as the bottle of whiskey. He did the same to Martin and took his map of the area as well as a small bunch of medical supplies. He holstered both revolvers in his jacket as he returned to the woman who was still not conscious. He sighed softly as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to a tree and leaned her up against it.

"_No way I'm gonna be able to carry her back to the camp with this load…I better reset those traps and wake her up,"_

Kit quickly set to work, resetting the snare traps as well as covering the bear traps that he had hidden beneath the foliage. Once he was satisfied with his work, he quickly removed a bottle of water from his bag and returned to the woman. She was still not conscious, even after 15 minutes of leaving her to recover. He gently nudged her until she finally stirred. She looked at him in horror and screamed into the tape on her mouth. Kit raised his hands in defense.

"I'm not going to hurt you…I just want to give you some water," he said calmly.

He removed his hood and lowered the cowl from his mouth. The woman seemed to calm down slightly as he placed his hand on the tape.

"I'm going to remove this," he said.

She did not respond as he carefully removed the tape, slowly enough to not cause her pain. He then used his second combat knife to remove the bindings on her hands. He then handed her the bottle of water.

"I'm sorry that you had to see that…" he said abruptly.

She quickly took the water and began to chug it down. Once she was finished, she let out a breath and handed it back to him.

"Fred was a good man…I'm sorry it had to end that way for him," she said.

Kit turned around before looking at the sky, realizing that it was nearly sundown.

"We need to get back to the shelter…can you walk on your own?" he asked.

The woman nodded as she rose to her feet, limping on her left leg.

"I'll manage," she said.  
"It's not far but stay close…the wolves like to come out at night and your injury paints yourself in red for them," he warned.

She nodded as he led her towards his home.


	2. Painful Dreams

**(A/N): Chapter 2 coming up so soon? Yeah. I actually finished it the same day but I decided to see if it would be received relatively well and much to my surprise, I've already got 100 views on this baby. I'll definitely try to develop this as I go along. Stay tuned at the end of the chapter because I have a small announcement and I need your help my readers!**

**I hope you guys are enjoying this so far and definitely look forward to seeing more content from me in the days to come. I've returned and I'm here to stay my friends!**

**Let's keep the gold train a flowin' shall we?**

* * *

**Painful Dreams**

* * *

A loud gunshot jolted Kit from his arrow carving. He rubbed the sweat from his face before frantically scrambling to the window to see who it was. Much to his surprise, it was a man holding his hands up in defense.

"I saw your sign not too far from here and one shot indicates peace right? I'm here to trade," he shouted.

Kit's eyes narrowed as he quickly put his jacket on and picked up his designated trading goods and made his way outside. He held his pistol up at the man but he made no move to retaliate.

"I have two others with me and we're running very low on water…the infected have reached the main river and it's too dangerous for us to gather it so we were hoping for some help," he explained.

Kit nodded.

"The river is yours to use if you help me to clear the infected," said Kit.

The man nodded with a smile.

"I would appreciate that very much," he replied.

Kit nodded as he asked the man to sit and wait for him to get his gear. He returned quickly with his trusty bow and his makeshift quiver, filled with freshly carved arrows that he made the day before. He had two pistols holstered in his jacket and two combat knives on the leather harness underneath the jacket.

"You've prepared yourself well," said the man.  
"One can never be too prepared for this kind of thing," replied Kit.

The man then beckoned him towards the river and they set out together.

"So how long have you been here?" asked the man.  
"A year and two months," replied Kit.  
"You've got a good system set up here…I saw the traps that you set up and that sign to let people know you mean business but also that you're willing to talk says a lot," he said.  
"I'm paranoid but not blindly so," replied Kit.

The man chuckled.

"My name is Charlie, what's yours if I may ask?" he asked.  
"Kit," he replied.

Charlie nodded.

"You from the States?" he asked.  
"Born and raised in Washington," he replied.  
"Same here…though a few years before your time," he chuckled.

Kit smiled at the man's poke at humor. He was definitely older than he was, at the very least in his late 40s.

"We're almost to my folks," he replied.

They soon saw a small puff of smoke and a woman along with a girl sitting around the fire.

"I found the one who set everything up," said Charlie.

Kit nodded at the woman and the girl.

"Thank you so much for helping us," she said.  
"I was going to clear the river today anyways…I guess some help couldn't hurt," he replied.

Kit nodded, indicating that they should get to work before the sun goes down.

"Alright, let's get a move on then everyone," said Charlie.

The girl picked up a gun and between her waist line on the left side as she followed Charlie. The woman did the same only putting it behind her. Kit trailed behind, ensuring that they weren't being followed. It wasn't long before they arrived at the main river and true to Charlie's words, infected were all around the area. Kit's eyes hovered over the Clickers and painful memories of the past began to resurface.

"_I let Fred down…I'm sorry Fred if you're looking down at me right now,"_

Kit's thoughts snapped back into focus once he noticed Charlie eyeing up a shot with his hunting rifle. Kit immediately grabbed the gun and lowered it.

"If we make too much noise, it won't be long before all of them are on us…let's do this quietly," he said.

Charlie nodded as Kit removed his bow from his back and placed an arrow in it.

"I'll take out the group ahead, you guys watch the rear because they're sure to come running," he instructed.

The three survivors nodded as Kit quickly set to work. Drawing in a breath and remembering his mother's words, Kit fired a clean shot into the head of a runner, instantly silencing it and causing it to slump to the ground. He smiled at his shot and readied another arrow, repeating the same success with another runner. He drew a third arrow and aimed but realized that it was a Clicker. If there was one thing Kit learned about Clickers, it was that mere wooden arrows couldn't pierce their cranium, even if fired from a composite bow like his. He quickly put his bow on his back and drew his combat knives before sneaking towards the Clicker. As soon as he was in range, he sprang into action, ferociously driving his knives into the head of the Clicker without making a grunt. The Clicker went down surprisingly quickly and barely made any noise, causing only a few infected to turn their heads toward the location but quickly going back to staring towards the water.

Kit sighed a breath of relief that he did not waste the effort as he once again drew his bow, repeating his previous actions for the next five. Much to his dismay, he was out of arrows.

"Great…guess I gotta do this the old fashioned way," he sighed.

He opened his backpack to remove a Molotov from it. Taking his lighter and setting it ablaze, Kit eyed a group of infected before throwing the explosive with all his might.

"We're gonna have a lotta company! Everyone get ready!" he shouted.

The Molotov struck the ground in front of the infected and exploded, sending red flames everywhere and setting most of them ablaze. Kit quickly drew his pistol before rejoining the survivors.

"I took out most of them…but now we're going to have to fight hard," he warned.

Charlie nodded in response.

"Keep your trigger finger ready," he said.

The women nodded as soon, the sickening sound of Clickers and the roars of Runners began to get louder. Much to the horror of the group, it was a great many of them but luckily, they approached from the other side of the river which was only crossable by a bridge. Kit beckoned them toward the bridge.

"Keep them here! They have to funnel through here to get to us so use the space to our advantage!" he shouted.

The group grunted in approval as gunshots began to ring through the air. Bodies fell like flies, the sound of bullets tearing through flesh followed suit and the screams of the Runners filled the air. Kit looked at Charlie, noticing that he was using a magnum, Kit cursed under his breath.

"You can't use guns with such low clip capacity…it's a horrible way to defend yourself," he said.

Charlie looked back and shook his head.

"It's all we have," he replied.

The swarm of infected soon began to thin and finally, the final Clicker met the ground.

"Everyone fill up on water because we're leaving out tomorrow," said Charlie.

Kit's eyes narrowed as he looked at the girl. Her eyes emitted dreadful reluctance.

"But…we just got here and it's been hard…can't we just stay here a little longer?" asked the woman.

Charlie shook his head.

"We can't stay where we're not welcome," said Charlie.  
"I never said you were unwelcome," interjected Kit.

The three of them turned and looked at Kit in astonishment.

"You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need to…but you're not staying in my shelter and you'll have to deal with the dangers on your own," he warned.

The woman smiled.

"We'll try not to be too much of a bother to you," she said.  
"The game here is plentiful and there are a lot of trees with fruit to eat…so unless you eat through tons in a single day, I doubt you'll really have an impact on the resources," he explained.

She smiled once more and much to his surprise, the girl ran up and hugged him.

"You're a kind man mister," she said.

Kit slowly allowed a small smile to form on his face as he put a hand on the back of the girl's head.

"My only condition is that you help me get rid of the bodies by the end of the week because they attract more infected," he requested.  
"That won't be a problem," said Charlie

Kit nodded as he replaced his weapons.

"I have things to take care of so I'll return later," he said.  
"How can we contact you?" asked the woman.

Kit looked at Charlie.

"He knows what to do," he replied.

* * *

Kit jolted awake from yet another nightmare.

"Why have I been having these dreams…" he muttered to himself.

He rose to his feet and looked outside.

"I can't believe that happened nearly two weeks ago…" he sighed.

He cursed under his breath.

"I can't afford to let the past come back to haunt me…I've got to stay strong," he muttered.

He looked down at the necklace that the girl gave to him and he couldn't help but feel a tear run down his face.

"I failed…I'm sorry for not being there…" he sobbed.

He placed it back down as he looked at the picture of him, Charlie and the woman he identified as Mary.

"Another group of survivors that I failed to protect…maybe I should just stop being considerate," he mumbled.

He reluctantly crushed up the picture before throwing it out the window.

"_My dreams continue to haunt me…for once I feel like it wouldn't be a half bad idea to be with someone rather than alone,"_ he thought.

His eyes drifted to the jacket hung up over his bedpost. He once again shed a tear.

"_I failed you Fred…I'm so sorry…"_ he thought.

Mustering his willpower, Kit put his clothes on and checked his watch.

"_I have to run through the first four sectors and ensure that all the traps are set…and I also have to check up on that small group camping over at Sector H…they've been quiet but who knows what they're going to do,"_ he thought.

Donning his jacket and putting the hood over his head and the cowl over his face.

"_Gabrielle got infected despite my every effort and I failed to be there to help Charlie and his group…their deaths are on my hands…I have to do better or if push comes to shove, do nothing at all,"_

* * *

**Alright everybody, I'm officially announcing that I am seeking a female lead character to pair with Kit. Please, lay em on me. I don't want to create a female lead because that's just too mainstream. I love writing using what my fans create so I'm throwing the ball out to you guys. I will take a few submissions and pick a winner depending on how much I like them. If I get a few I can't decide on, I'll probably do a vote where you guys determine the character chosen!**

**Get your submissions in everyone, I'm gonna need that female lead to continue the story.**

**Cheers!**

**~Wandering Letters**


	3. Necessary Cruelty

**(A/N): Third chapter up so quick? I'm on a roll. I figured I'd just throw it up because this was going to be in chapter 2 but now I think I'm going to shorten my chapters for this story; I'm doing things a little bit differently for this one.**

**Throw up those submissions my friends.**

**Shout out to my good friend zipscool who's been my friend for a while and a faithful reader. Could be where I am now without you mate. Nice point about the nice guy thing but believe me, that's not what I'm getting at here. Trust me on that.**

**Let's continue this shall we?**

* * *

**Necessary Cruelty**

* * *

"Fuck you!"  
"You evidently didn't read the signs,"

Kit closed his eyes as he grabbed onto the man's finger before snapping it violently. The man howled in agony as he slumped to the trunk of the tree. Kit then grabbed him by the very same hand before slamming him against the tree and pressing his grip against his neck.

"I'm going to ask again, where is the camp?" he said.

His tone was deadly and cold. The man could feel a cold shiver run down his back.

"I'm not telling you shit!" he snapped back.

Kit closed his eyes before violently throwing him to his knees. As the man tried to scramble to his feet, Kit mercilessly drove his foot into the back of his leg, snapping it like a twig. The man once again howled in agony and before he could even catch his breath, he felt his arm get wrenched behind his back.

"Your group has been channelling infected into my territory and I don't appreciate that...you're risking one of the very few havens left out in this horrible world and I'm not standing for it so I will ask once more...where is their camp?" said Kit.

The amount of venom in his voice was bone-chilling. When Kit received silence in return, he wrenched the man's arm upwards, letting out a sickening crack indicating that the arm was snapped in two.

"ALRIGHT! THE CAMP IS THREE KILOMETERS SOUTH OF THIS POSITION!" he cried.

Kit closed his eyes as he stood up.

"Now let me go...please," he begged.

Kit looked down on him before drawing his pistol.

"You lost the right to mercy the moment your group came here and ruined this place..." he replied.

He aimed at the man's head.

"I'm all out of mercy," he said menacingly.

A loud gunshot followed and the sickening sound of bullet splattering brain followed a moment after.

* * *

**45 Minutes Later- The Looter's Camp**

Kit finally arrived at the area the man spoke of and luckily, all of the group was there. Six men were crowded around a campfire holding rifles and pistols while three others stood watch inside a makeshift tower built in the trees.

_"There's no way I'll be able to take them down now...it's too bright, I'll have to return when it's dark where the cover of night will make it much harder for them to pin me down,"_

Kit was about to turn to leave until a gunshot rang out.

"THE INFECTED ARE COMING!" shouted one of the men.

Kit closed his eyes.

_"This goes against what I would ordinarily stand for...but now, survival is more important than anything else,"_

Kit made his way around the camp, heading towards the tower and the small barricade beside it that kept the infected out of the main entrance to the camp. Hiding himself in the tall grass and ensuring that no one spotted him, he eyed for weaknesses in the structure.

_"The infected can do my job for me...if I can find a way to destroy that barricade,"_

Kit opened his backpack and pulled out a molotov. He scanned the structure, searching for a way to bring the barrier down until his eyes hovered over a barrel surrounded with bottles full of kerosene oil. He could only conclude that the looters used the oil to light their lanterns at night and also to keep torches lit up to prevent the infected from sneaking into the camp. Kit watched and waited for his chance as four of the men scrambled from the campfire and over to the barricade and soon, gunshots filled the air. Kit noticed an opportunity when he saw one of the men leave his fellow to go inside a tent. He quickly scaled a tree and drew an arrow in his bow.

_"If I can take these two out, it'll be easy to get the molotov to the oil,"_

As soon as the man left the tent, Kit released the arrow. The projectile singed through the air and connected with the ribs of the man, clearly puncturing his ribs and also the lung.

_"I'm glad I found that scrap metal and melted it down to make metal arrowheads,"_

The man fell to his knees as his friend attempted to help him. Kit quickly leaped down from the tree and stalked his way over the tent. Drawing his combat knives, he sprang from the tall grass and managed to slash the healthy man across the neck but not without getting a solid punch to the jaw. Kit quickly regained his senses before slitting the other man's throat. With his two enemies now helpless, he removed the molotov from his bag and lit it with his lighter. He quickly made his way into range of the barrel but right before he could throw the explosive, a man tackled his from behind, causing it to slip from his hand and onto the grass.

The man attempted to stab Kit with his knife but Kit managed to kick him off before he could make the effort. He sprang to his feet before parrying another stab attempt and throwing the man to the ground. He then violently kicked the man in the ribs, causing him to roll over in agony. Searching frantically for the molotov, he found it next to a now growing fire. Cursing himself for being careless, he threw the explosive as hard as he could and soon, a fire enveloped the barrel. Kit knew that it was only mere seconds before an explosion would bring all of the men running. He turned to the man before kicking him across the face, knocking him out. He then moved to the tent, searching for anything that he could use. He hit the jackpot upon finding a backpack full of medical supplies as well as a car battery and a bag containing a revolver, a Desert Eagle and ammo for both. He quickly shouldered the medical supplies and stuffed the battery into his own bag which was now empty without the molotov in it and held the small draw string containing the weapons in another hand.

He quickly made his way out of the tent as the deafening explosion obliterated the barricade. Kit closed his eyes as he heard the panicked screams of the men as he made his way back towards his own home. A part of him wished to see if any of them were truly good men but after the past experiences...he wasn't going to allow people to get to him anymore.

_"I'll have to ensure that I come back here and clear all the infected out...but this was a fruitful venture,"_

* * *

**One Hour Later- Kit's Shelter**

Kit sighed in relief as he placed the last clip of ammo in the large crate. He then ensured that he did a good job in cleaning the guns that he acquired before placing them on the small rack and turning off the light. He exited the armory before making his way to his sleeping area.

After washing himself clean from the dirt and attiring himself for sleeping, Kit sat down to take a read from his current Tom Clancy novel. Kit shook his head as his eyes once again hovered over the jacket that belonged to Gabrielle, the woman he promised to protect to the dying Fred. His fists clenched as he picked up the jacket and threw it into the torch lit outside before watching it burn. He punched the zinc wall beside him and cursed loudly.

_"I can't hold onto these memories anymore...they're driving me insane..."_

He soon heard one of the bells outside, indicating that someone stepped on the tripwire outside. He quickly grabbed his bow and jumped through the window, using the cover of of the lowering sun to hide himself. Much to his surprise, he saw a man stumbling forward and recognized him as one of the men from the camp. He felt a rage within him as he approached the man who had fallen to the grass.

"I...need help..." he groaned.

Kit looked down at him in disgust.

"Why should I help you when all you've done is make things worse for everyone else here?" he snapped.  
"...Are you really just gonna leave me to die?" groaned the man.

Kit could feel his anger pooling within him.

"DID YOU SHOW MERCY TO THE PEOPLE YOU SLAUGHTERED TO GET THE THINGS YOU HAVE?!" he bellowed.

The man did not respond.

"DID YOU SHOW MERCY TO CHARLIE WHEN YOU KILLED HIM, HIS WIFE AND HIS DAUGHTER?" he continued.

The man looked at him in shock, as if he didn't expect Kit to know about that.

"Your group is a disgusting tumor that deserves to be removed," he snapped.

The man groaned more in agony as Kit closed his eyes in an attempt to calm his rage.

"I'll leave as soon as I'm able to walk again...please...I'm the only one who made it out of there alive..." he begged.  
"All of your fellows died?" he asked.  
"The fire killed what was left after the battle...I'm the only living thing that came from there," he groaned.

Kit closed his eyes as he eyed his backpack.

"What's in the bag?" he asked.  
"Medical supplies...ammo...everything else that didn't get burned," he groaned.

Kit closed his eyes before holding a hand out to the man. He took it with a smile only to feel something pierce his chest. Much to his shock, Kit had driven an arrow through his chest.

"You saved me the trouble of having to go back there to clean up the mess...thanks for that but I'm done showing mercy to those who don't deserve it," he said coldly.

The man soon slumped dead as Kit removed his backpack. After placing it in his storage shack, Kit dragged the body outside of his perimeter and leaned it against a tree before tying a noose to his leg. He then sprang the trap, causing the body to be pulled into the air.

_"This will teach anyone who has hostile intentions to never enter this place..."_

As he returned to his shelter, he looked back at the man once more.

_"This is necessary cruelty,"_

* * *

**Get your submissions in everyone, I'm gonna need that female lead to continue the story from this point onward.**

**Cheers!**

**~Letters**


	4. Gabrielle West's Last Entry

**(A/N): I figured I'd do one of these because they seem to be all the rage in stories like this. I'll leave it up to you guys to see if you like it or not.  
**

**Still waiting for the submissions so keep em coming. The search for a female lead must end if I am to continue this thing!**

**Hope you guys enjoy this! This isn't continuing the story but simply adds a bit of development to it. I came up with this after I had a dream so I figured I'd pump it out while the idea is still fresh in my brain.**

**Read and review people! It helps more than you know**

* * *

**Gabrielle West's Last Entry**

* * *

_It's been three weeks since Kit allowed me to stay with him. Funny how time flies by so quickly even during a shitty time like this right?_

_In all the time I've spent together with him, I have to honestly say that he's a man who knows what he's doing. He does pull off some extraordinary feats like those insane bow shots and scaling trees so quickly that he'd might as well be a monkey but the thing that truly sets him apart is his determination._

_It takes much more than just willpower to do the things he does. In the three weeks I've been with him, he's taught me a lot of things such as first aid, how to cook and also how to use a gun properly and every time we sat down for a lesson, he always told me that it will be important in case we get separated or if we have to do something on our own and can't rely on the other. He was never harsh about anything apart from the cold hard facts and in a world where a fungus infected people and caused them to want to eat each other, cold hard facts were even more frigid._

_Today however was a different day because I finally managed to get him to open up about himself and though I was initially horrified at what he told me, I truly began to understand how he became the man he is today. I guess some old wine and a happy campfire was all I needed to get him to be open. After pestering him all night under the influence, he finally told me about his past life before shit hit the fan._

_Born in a small settlement in Washington, he was raised by resourceful parents who managed to avoid the outbreak and establish a shelter that worked for a long time. Born to a Chinese father and American mother, he was raised with the mindset of survival against all odds. As a result, he did not see much of the world though he was trained from an early age in all of the skills he would need to survive on his own should things go wrong. His father, Ren, was a master of Jeet Kune Do and trained him from the early age of 7 while his mother, Cassandra, taught him how to use a bow at the age of 9. Kit used his training time to familiarize himself with first aid, cooking and building traps for hunting. Kit was also shown the values of family where he was tasked with taking care of his younger sister, Leah, for a year while both parents traveled across the country for business. He proved himself a capable brother and guardian when his parents returned to not only both their children but also to an improved shelter where Kit designed traps to protect the compound and taught Leah how to apply first aid._

_The fact that he was able to teach his sister all of that in one year absolutely amazed me._

_At the age of 17, he was fully able to hunt on his own and was providing the food for the family, allowing his aging father the time to take care of his now sickly wife. Kit had also taken Leah as his protégé and as a result, the two became inseparable with Kit never failing to ensure his sister was safe. A hunting accident occurred where Leah was nearly mauled by a bear but Kit rescued her, receiving a large slash across his back which was still evident even today. _

_At the age of 19, Cassandra passed away from pneumonia but not without entrusting Leah to him and giving him the very bow she herself trained with which would become a weapon that Kit would use every time he hunted. Cassandra's death drove Ren mad and it wasn't long before he began to distance himself from his children. With his father quickly losing his sanity, he knew that he had to take Leah away from their home else he risked her safety._

_Two weeks before Kit's 20th birthday, Ren completely lost his mind and psychotically attacked Leah, believing a bite wound was from an infected when it was really a wound from a wolf that she and Kit had encountered during a hunting trip. Ren broke her leg in the process before Kit begrudgingly had to strike a fatal arrow to his father's chest. Realizing just what he had done, Ren apologized before entrusting Kit to take care of Leah and giving him a map to show him where the infection was far less, locating near Colorado. Knowing full well that he would be on his own, Kit took Leah towards Colorado, leaving the home he had known his whole life behind._

_It would be one full year before they finally arrived to Colorado with many events occurring to harden his heart but finally, Kit had found an area he could call home which is where I met him. Knowing full well that Leah would be vulnerable due to her asthma as well as sensitive mind, Kit made them a shelter near to a river as swimming became one of the very few things that could calm her mind. The two siblings would then lived their days peacefully together until one fateful day._

_On his 21st birthday, the siblings decided to visit a nearby settlement for medicinal supplies that Kit couldn't make himself only to discover it raided by looters and also by infected. Amidst the chaos, Leah was hit by a stray bullet from one of the looters. Kit rushed to her side and managed to seal the wound and extract the bullet. Leah however began to feel as if she truly was a burden to her older brother and begged for him to stop and save himself. The infected soon began to outnumber the battling looters and the siblings were trapped under the crossfire. _

_Though he was willing to take her, Leah begged her brother to leave her and save himself, knowing full well that there was nothing he could do to save them both. Kit begged for Leah to reconsider but she instead give him her necklace before giving him and herself their first kisses (a little freaky but I guess the bonds of family can really run deep), thanking him for everything that he did for her. She then stole the gun that he hid in his belt before kicking him through the door in the shack they hid within. Kit attempted to rescue her but the oncoming infected forced him to retreat. That was the last time he saw Leah._

_Kit had returned to that area with me several times but couldn't even find a body. I have to say that I really feel it for him; he's a good man who's suffered a lot of loss as he's now the last of his family. I don't know why he had such a soft spot for me considering how ordinarily cold he was to others but he takes very good care of me. He nursed me back to health and soon I was able to help him out with the work that he had to do on a daily basis._

_At times I wondered how he could do so much by himself but when you have the need to survive, I suppose some people rise up to the challenge more than others. He had a very creative mind with his traps and even though it was a little sickening to see that he created effigies from the bodies of looters and hunters that came across his territory, I understood why he did it. He had to be sure that his space wasn't compromised because if he had to move, the chances of survival drop severely. That was also the reason why I've seen him train himself so vigorously, never failing to practice his bow skills on the small range he built in the front yard and keeping himself in peak condition with parkour exercises and weight lifting. He made himself appear to be a one man army...but I knew that he was able to do this because he had to do things like this from an early age._

_He wasn't a bad looking man either...in fact I'd say he's rather handsome. Light tan skin tone. Athletic build though not at all bulky. Spiky dark brown hair left to flare over his eyes, cut just enough to allow it to not be a hindrance or vulnerability. Dark brown eyes and fairly handsome facial features. I don't know how the heck Kit managed to keep himself in such good condition without lotion or anything of the like. He always prefers to wear long sleeved clothing, especially since he has made his home in such a cold climate. Kit never removes the necklace his sister gave to him and always keeps the pocket watch given to him by his father. He never leaves home with his mother's bow either._

_To top it all off however was his clear mind. I didn't know a single person who could stay as calm as he could. He has a tremendous amount of willpower as he once got hurt during a hunting trip but he never allowed himself to slack. After dislocating his shoulder, he snapped it back into place and only took a half an hour break before getting back to his schedule despite the pain. This was a man who really and truly did not know the meaning of the word quit._

_Well, I've ranted on enough about Kit Matthews for one day I think. I really hope he doesn't find this because then he'd probably think I'm creepy...then again, I've made it plain and obvious that I'd let him take me any day he wants after all he's done for me._

_Will write again soon,_

_Gabrielle West_

* * *

**One Month Ago- Kit's Shelter**

Kit smiled at what he read for a brief moment before closing his eyes and tossing the book back into the drawer. He was really glad that he found that stash of Tom Clancy novels in relatively good condition on his last trip to the settlement in town. His attention then turned to Gabrielle.

_"I let you down...the one time I didn't come back when I intended to come back, it nearly cost her everything...that won't happen again,"_

He approached the bed where he already found her sleeping. He was thankful that she was completely unscathed from the encounter apart from hurting her back with a bad safety roll. He made his way over to the other bed before he saw her stir.

"You're still awake?" she asked.

He nodded at her.

"What's the matter?" she asked.  
"...I wasn't there to help you...and I'm sorry," he said.

Gabrielle smiled at him before rising out of her bedroll and joining him on his.

"You're not going to be able to sleep tonight are you?" she asked.

He didn't answer as he stared towards the night sky. Gabrielle gently touched his cheek with her hand and brought him down to the bed with her as she lay on his chest.

"You didn't fail anyone...you came back and you saved me...now just go to sleep," she said.

Kit blew out the lantern beside him before finally allowing himself to lay down. Gabrielle held onto him.

"I'm fine...alright?" she said.

He looked down to see her staring back at him with a smile.

"Surviving a swarm of infected with only a hurt back is a godsend...don't you dare think that it was your fault because I'm the one who set off the trap and brought them there," she said.

Kit nodded as she placed her head against his chest.

"Sleep..." she whispered.

It wasn't long before he finally followed her order.

* * *

**Present Day- Kit's Shelter**

He put the journal back in the drawer. Wiping his face from sweat, he closed his eyes as the memories began to rush back to him.

_"She really cared for me...she wasn't like all those other people who wanted to further themselves...she was really a good person...I hate myself every day for allowing you to die like that...I'm sorry Gabrielle..."_

Kit finally allowed himself to lay down as sleep began to takeover.

_"Maybe if it were under normal circumstances...we could've been more than just partners..."_

Kit shook his head from the escalating emotions.

_"She made me promise that I would never falter and to live on...so that's what I'm going to do,"_

* * *

**Bit of filler here for you and hopefully by now, you guys have realized the way I've been doing this story. If you don't catch my drift, you will in time ;)**

**Thanks everyone for the warm welcome back to the writing world...I've missed this place.**

**Cheers!**

**~Letters**


	5. The Pain Of Loss

**(A/N): And we're back. After reviewing all of the submissions, I decided on one after a lot of thought. I want to thank everyone who created a submission and rest assured, even though I didn't choose yours, I will definitely find a way to incorporate them.**

**Thanks again everyone and I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. It's been a very fun change of pace from my usual writing and it gives me a ton of practice.**

**Let's hop right back into it and stay tuned to the end for another note.**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Last Of Us. It belongs to Naughty Dog and it couldn't be in better hands.**

* * *

**EDIT: Uploaded the wrong file. Correct file should be up now. There are a few dialogue changes. Sorry about that everyone! Thanks zipscool for showing me that it was the wrong version.**

* * *

**The Pain Of Loss**

* * *

_"How did I get myself into this mess..."_

A huge punch to my jaw snapped me from my trance and a flurry of blows followed that strike into my stomach. I closed my eyes and held back screams of pain and managed to let them escape my mouth as grunts and groans.

"You've been a real pain in the ass for us..."

I tried to look up but my head was immediately met with another punch. I could taste the blood in my mouth as the man proceeded to punch me in the stomach repeatedly.

"You've killed many of our men and stolen an unreal amount of supplies from us...now you're going to tell me where it all is," he snapped.

He struck me across the face again.

"Or you will suffer like this until you do," he said in a sadistic tone.

My consciousness began to fade from the maddening amount of pain surging through my body. I thought back to what happened during the day.

* * *

**Earlier That Morning- The Main River Sector**

"I appreciate the trading,"

Kit nodded.

"I'll be back in three days,"  
"I'll be sure to be around if you can bring me more gasoline for the generator," he said.

The woman nodded. For a few weeks, the woman had appeared and made a deal with Kit to trade gasoline for carved arrows as well as fruit for herself. The trading offer was a successful one as the woman diligently returned each time with the promised amount.

During a raid on a small bandit camp, Kit luckily found not only a good amount of gear but something he sought after for a while: a generator. To make matters even better, the generator had a set of wheels which allowed it to be transported easily. After disposing of the bandits, Kit took the generator for himself and this allowed him to set up an electric fence around the weak points in the main perimeter. All the while, Kit spent weeks doing the fencing but was never able to acquire a source of power to electrify it until that day. Once he brought it back, he began to siphon cars for gas by travelling to the nearby highway. The method was quickly scrapped however due to the extensive amount of time he had to spend outside and he decided to not use the generator until he happened upon this woman.

During one of his training sessions in Jeet Kune Do, the woman triggered the bell alarm but approached him with defensive hands though she never revealed her face. She carried a large canister of gasoline and was in search of food. She had set up a camp near the highway and knew the woods well enough to find a more efficient route to Kit's home. Unlike him, she was willing to travel the distance to get the food. This deal went on for a three weeks and the two of them had a generally good trading relationship. He never asked her questions nor did she but he couldn't help but wonder how she looked beneath the mask and hood.

For some reason today however, Kit noticed that she was limping and he quickly approached her.

"Did something happen?" he asked.  
"I was jumped by a few bandits...and this might be the last time I come here," she said with a sigh.

Kit raised an eyebrow.

"Is it serious?" he asked.  
"I know I don't have long to live," she replied.

He looked down for a moment before clearing his head and returning his gaze to her.

"The food that I provided...it isn't just for you is it?" he asked.  
"You're very sharp," she replied.

She lowered her hood and removed her mask to reveal a face no older than 30. She looked extremely stressed and massive bags under her eyes indicated that he hadn't slept well in a very long time.

"I've been taking care of two girls...about 22 years each," she explained.  
"And you were jumped on your way here today?" he asked.  
"Indeed...I don't have the medical supplies to fix the damage so it's only a matter of time before I go," she said.

Kit raised a hand to contest the idea but she cut him off.

"I'm not letting you waste your resources on me...the damage is enough that I'll never be able to do what I could do when we first met so I'm borderline useless to anyone," she snapped.

Kit's eyes narrowed.

"So what about the two girls?" he asked.  
"I don't know what I'm gonna do about them..." she replied.

Kit closed his eyes and sucked in a breath.

"Take me to your camp and I'll see what I can do to ensure that they can't get in," he said.

The woman tried to object but he raised a hand.

"It's the least I can do considering that you've risked your neck to get the gasoline for me...it doesn't take much effort for me to gather the food I provide for you," he said.

She nodded as he returned to his shelter to retrieve a bag and his bow while also dressing appropriately.

"Follow me," she said.  
"May I ask your name?" he asked.

She looked down before smiling and looking back at him.

"Keisha," she replied.

* * *

**Two Hours Later- Keisha's Camp**

_"This camp is a horrible place to be..."_

There was virtually no conceivable way for them to protect it. I looked as much as I could but it seemed that a raid at every angle could very well be successful. Keisha had decided to take up residence in an old junkyard near the highway. Most of the fencing had been knocked down and considering the number of infected we had to sneak by to get here, it astonished me as to how she made it to my shelter every time for trading. She did all of this by herself while these other two women sat there and did nothing?

"How've you survived this long in a dump like this?" I asked.  
"We take turns on guard duty up in that tower there," she said pointing.

That was the only place that I could picture would be safe...but if bandits appeared in a large enough number, leaving that tower would be next to impossible if they ran out of ammo. I noticed Keisha faltering and I stepped forward to help her but she immediately stuck her hand up.

"I'll be fine on my own...now come meet them," she said.

I nodded as she led me into the perimeter. She held up her hands and waved towards the tower. Much to my astonishment, a rifle head I did not notice before moved away from the window and I swallowed hard; if Keisha wasn't there, I wouldn't be here right now and I'd probably had two in between my eyes. She led me to a tent and beckoned me to enter. I obeyed her and took a seat around a table with a map spread out on it. Not even a minute later, the three women came inside. Keisha wasn't particularly an impressive woman though her tremendous willpower was something that astounded even me; it took a lot of patience and work to maintain a place like this even though it was only three of them.

One of the women looked rather exotic with very deep auburn hair and amber eyes, sporting a blue tank top and grey cargo pants. She was relatively attractive, having a modest bust though her lower body left a little to be desired. Overall, she seemed like a decent woman and what particularly caught my attention was how young she looked. Though her cheekbones were a bit sunken and she showed slight signs of malnutrition, she still somehow managed to maintain a relatively youthful look.

The other woman however...she was definitely something I didn't see often and she was immensely attractive. She clearly had Japanese descent, made plain and obvious in her facial features but she still had soft cheekbones rather than the firmer Japanese ones. She had long black hair, pinned up in a ponytail and was dressed in a grey long sleeved sweater that couldn't completely fit her and revealed a little of her collarbone along with some black cargo pants. Her face was...rather beautiful considering that it had been a very long time since I had seen someone as attractive as her. Her body was _definitely_ something that she had going for her. Enough curves to draw in just about any man, a modest bust size and a rather nicely shaped posterior indicated to me that she could use herself as a weapon, drawing in unsuspecting victims before finishing them.

She however struck me as an innocent girl and she definitely appeared younger than Keisha or the other one. She looked at me for a brief moment before Keisha cleared her throat.

"This is the man who's been providing the food for us," she said.

The auburn haired woman held out a hand to me and I respectfully shook it.

"I appreciate all you've been doing for us," she said.

That accent was unmistakably Scottish. The Japanese girl then did the same and I repeated the gesture.

"You've really been saving us from starvation...we really appreciate it," she said shyly.

Her accent was British...god I loved British accents.

"The British girl's name is Nicole Namisaki and the Scottish girl's name is Lillian Walker," said Keisha.

I nodded to each of them.

"My name is Kit Matthews," I said.  
"Nice to meet you lad," said Lillian.  
"Pleasure," replied Nicole.

Nicole turned to Keisha with a confused look on her face.

"Not that I don't appreciate seeing a friendly face...but why lead him here?" she asked.

Keisha closed her eyes and took a breath.

"Because the two of you are going with him," she replied.

I looked at her in disbelief.

"I didn't agree to that," I said immediately.

Keisha closed her eyes as she removed her jacket and raised her shirt to reveal a grotesque wound on her ribs. Nicole turned away immediately, completely appalled at the site of it. I closed my eyes before shaking my head.

"That's why you took me here...because you knew that you wouldn't be sticking around," I said.

Keisha nodded.

"It won't be long before I turn into one of those things...so as my final request, I want you to take care of these two girls...in exchange, I gathered all of the gas from the cars on the highway and stored them in a truck out back...you can take it back to your camp and that should be enough to last you for a long time if you portion it right," she explained.

Reluctance hovered over my heart and I couldn't help but feel enraged that she would try to drop such a task on me. Memories of Gabrielle came flashing back to me and my fists automatically clenched.

"**WHAT THE FUCK! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!**" shouted Lillian.  
"On the way to see him...I'm amazed that I haven't turned already," she replied.

Nicole's eyes were filled with tears and she turned away as she wiped them off with her sleeve.

"Do we have a deal?" she asked.

I thought of just how useful the gasoline would actually turn out to be. I could keep the camp running for a very long time before I even had to think of going to find more and if I had that under control, I would even be able to get a generator into the small office that had an air conditioning unit. God...it's been too long since I've felt that on my skin. The electricity would solve my paranoia of the fencing being undercharged and most importantly, the gasoline would allow me to use the stove which would allow for much safer cooking. I took a breath and let it out.

"I'll do it," I said.

Keisha smiled as she turned to the girls.

"I want you two to go with him...don't give him any problems and pull your weight...you'll be fine," she said.  
"But what about you?" asked Nicole.

Keisha shook her head.

"I'm on thin ice here...it won't be long before I turn...so you need to leave before I do," she said.

Nicole's eyes once again filled with tears as I rose to my feet. I walked out of the tent and took a look at the truck she was talking about. It was a large pickup truck with the back filled with canisters of gas neatly packed in.

_"How she managed to lift and pack all of those things...I'll never know,"_

I turned back to tell the girls what to do until I caught sight of some smoke. I felt my heart rate almost double as I realized the location of it.

_"It's coming from the prison one block down from here..."_

I went back into the tent.

"Are you aware that there's smoke coming from the prison one block down from here?" I asked.  
"No...I went to that place three days ago and it was completely abandoned," said Keisha.

I cursed under my breath.

_"More fucking looters,"_

I closed my eyes and took a breath.

"There's no way that we can drive that truck with those looters there...they're probably nearby and spread out already so driving it will only bring attention," I said.

I looked on the table and saw a flare gun. An idea flew into my head.

"There's no way we'll be able to make it back there with both the infected and the looters on our tail...so you take them back to the camp Keisha," I said.  
"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" she replied.  
"Do you want to keep them safe or not?" I snapped.

Keisha attempted to retort.

"I have to give them a reason to return...I'll fire a flare off once I manage to get their attention which will give you time to get them back to my camp safely...I'm not going to risk them coming with me because they'll slow me down," I said.

Nicole attempted to say something but I cut her a cold gaze, silencing her almost instantly.

"The extra condition for me to take care of those girls is for you to trust me and follow my plan," I said.

Keisha put a hand to her mouth and was in thought for a few moments.

"We don't have the firepower to take on both of them...so it's better to remove one factor from the equation I suppose," she said.

I nodded as I holstered the flare gun inside my jacket.

"You're aware of the traps around the area so you know how to get them inside safely," I said.

Keisha nodded as I approached the exit to the tent.

"Be careful," said Lillian.  
"...Don't get yourself killed," said Nicole.

I could sense the concern behind her voice though she tried to sound tough about it. I closed my eyes, mentally noting that she would be problematic in the future.

"Be ready to move on that flare because I can't buy you a lot of time," I said.

With that, I quickly made my way towards the prison.

* * *

**The Prison- Present Time**

I was thankful that I managed to get the flare out to them...now all I could do was hope that I managed to give them enough time to get away. I didn't however plan for myself to get captured and I didn't plan for there to be so many of them. My thoughts drifted back to Gabrielle and how I let her down and right now, I was doing the same to Keisha. I knew that it was a heartless move to have accepted the deal for the gasoline but now that I thought about it, taking care of those women was now an even more pressing concern.

Nicole didn't seem like she was capable of taking care of herself and Lillian, even though she appeared to be a veteran, was only one woman. The dangers that lied in those woods were things that even I couldn't always be prepared for and right now, the girls were walking into a dark room without a light. Keisha could help...but considering how long it was since she was bitten, she might've turned by now. I knew I had to get out of here...but I had no idea how I was going to do that.

I felt more blows land to my body but I sealed the pain out with my mind and entered a state of meditation, allowing me to calm down and think rationally.

A loud gunshot however snapped me out of my thoughts. The men went to the door and spoke in a language I couldn't understand though it sounded like Russian. Two of the men immediately ran outside, leaving the one who was torturing me behind. This was my chance. As he approached to punch me again, I lifted my legs up before grabbing his neck. Using him as a platform, I lifted myself as high as I could and I managed to lift the rope binding my hands together over the hook before pulling us both to the floor. I quickly rolled to my feet and searched frantically for something to remove the bindings with. The man got back to his feet, pulling out a knife and looking at me with murderous intent. He attempted to stab me but I managed to sidestep it before landing a kick to his abdomen and another to his stomach.I kept my distance as he came at me again.

I managed to dodge the knife again before launching a powerful roundhouse into his face, sending him to the ground. I then managed to lock both my feet around his head and I looked down at him.

"All you had to do was not threaten innocent people...now you pay the price," I said.

Before he could retort, I violently shifted my locked legs, snapping his neck and killing him. I managed to land on my left knee without hurting myself as I frantically searched his body for a knife. Much to my relief, I managed to find one and I frantically sawed off the rope binding my hands. I took the gun from the man's body and quickly made my way out of the room. I followed the panicked gunshots to the main hall where much to my surprise, the bandits were engaged in a gunfight. Much of the hall was filled with at least waist deep water, no doubt due to the massive amount of rain that's happened the past few weeks.

What surprised me more was that the bandits were actually taking losses. It puzzled me as to who it was that was giving them so much problems. Suddenly, I felt hands grab me and I struggled to break free. I heard a sadistic laugh as my assailant threw me over the rail, dropping me into the water with a loud splash. I was thankful for the water; it helped to break my fall and if it wasn't there, I'd probably be dead right now. I quickly unholstered the gun from my pants and took cover.

_"I need to find my gear..."_

I looked around for shot and saw a bandit hiding behind a wall, somehow not noticing me. I made my way over, using the gunshots to mask my wet footsteps before I managed to grab him. I shoved my gun into his abdomen and kept my elbow at his throat.

"You're going to tell me where they hid my gear," I said coldly.

The man shouted but the gunshots continued to mask all his hopes of garnering attention. I closed my eyes and shook my head as I pulled the trigger, ensuring that I did not destroy anything vital. The man began to slump.

"**WHERE IS IT!**" I demanded.

No response so I pulled the trigger one more time.

"**I'M NOT GOING TO ASK AGAIN,**" I growled.

The man looked towards an open gate on the other side of the room.

"It's in there...along with all the supplies we've salvaged," he groaned.

I nodded as I released him before slamming the butt of the gun into his forehead. I removed the other gun he had in his hand as I made my way towards the gate. I managed to reach it and I carefully made my way down the corridor until I saw the store room. I moved inside to see two men, scrambling around the room trying to stash as many things as they could. I immediately moved behind the desk before drawing in a breath. I drew both pistols and held them up at both of them. They froze immediately and dropped what they were carrying and raised their hands. I knew that even if I let them go, they would only try to follow.

"You've robbed a lot of people haven't you," I said.

I moved closer as the men in turn moved backward.

"It's to survive man...you gotta understand," one of them said.

I immediately shot the man in the leg and his friend turned to him and cursed loudly.

"Killing what's left of mankind just to keep yourself alive is no way to survive," I said coldly.

The other man looked at me in fear as I approached his friend and stepped on his neck.

"You ambushed me and you threatened to kill people who've done nothing to you...people who just want to survive as much as you do," I mused.

I lowered one of the guns and shot the downed man in the head, killing him instantly. I dropped the now empty gun and kept the other focused on him.

"Give me one good reason why I should spare you," I growled.  
"I know how to get out of here!" he said immediately.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I can get you out without having to go through the hellhole back there...just let me go," he said.

I nodded as I directed him to put his hands on his head. He obeyed me and I stripped him of the gun in his pocket. I then gathered my gear and ordered him to carry two bags worth of supplies with him. He once again obeyed me, shoving as much things as he could into the two bags that the two were initially going to use to make a getaway. I watched him shove a lot of medical supplies into one while dropping ammo and tools in the other. I then nodded to him as he led me out of the door.

* * *

**Ten Minutes Later- Outside The Prison**

"We stop there...then you're free to go," I said.

The man nodded as he lead the way towards the entrance to the woods. Much to my surprise, I heard a car motor.

_"Fuck...they must've followed me out of there,"_

I looked at him in anger as he shook his head.

"I didn't have anything to do with this man! I swear!" he said.

For some reason, I actually believed him. What surprised me more was the source of the car motor. I looked towards the entrance of the woods to see the very same truck that Keisha took Nicole and Lillian back in. The only person inside was...Nicole? I ordered the man to put the bags into the back of the truck and he once again obeyed me. I kept the gun on him as he kept his hands in the air, not making any hostile moves.

"You're free to go," I said.

The man lowered his hands and nodded.

"Thank you...I didn't want to do any of what those guys said...but I had no choice because it was either the infected or them..." he said.

I felt my heart begin to thaw slightly as I looked away. I opened the door to the truck before tossing him the gun and immediately loading an arrow into my bow.

"Go...now," I threatened.

The man bowed to me as he ran off. I released the steadying breath as I got into the truck.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I questioned.

I didn't get a response but the look on Nicole's face horrified even me.

"Lillian...and Keisha...they..." she sobbed.

My eyes widened as her face collapsed onto the wheel.

"Keisha...she...she turned...Lillian...she...sacrificed herself...to save me..." she weeped.

My eyes softened as I put a hand on her shoulder in sympathy.

"I'm sorry Nicole...if I didn't get captured...maybe I could've done something about it," I said.

I knew it was a futile attempt at calming her down; she just lost her two closest friends. She immediately turned and clung to me. I then closed my eyes and returned the gesture, wrapping an arm around her back and patting it gently.

"I...I didn't know what to do...so I came back hoping to find you..." she cried.  
"You did good...I don't know how I would've been able to make it back if you didn't come find me," I said honestly.

She moved back and gave me a teary eyed smile.

"Let's switch seats, I'll get us back safely," I said.

She nodded and climbed over as we switched positions. I wound up the windows and turned us around,heading back to my camp.

* * *

**Later That Night- Kit's Camp**

Kit set to work as soon as we got back and he told me to take it easy inside while he ensured that the perimeter was secure. I had never seen someone work so diligently as he carried a generator to the fence and managed to rig it to be electrified. He also took an extra precaution to hide the generator in the foliage.

He used some of the medical supplies that he brought back from the prison to treat my minor wounds, caring little for his own wounds. I was glad that he knew first aid because that was something I still needed to learn. He also cooked us dinner which was a can of broad beans with some rice now that he could actually use the gas stove he had inside the building. He told me that he would need my help in getting the air conditioning back online and if we did, we would be able to avoid hot nights outside where mosquitoes could become an issue after winter was over.

He...was definitely a hard worker. He didn't ask me to do anything but wash up the utensils and plates that we used and to dispose of the trash properly. For the most part...he treated me kindly.

He never failed to let me know when I screwed up though. I tried to reset two of the traps inside the perimeter and he berated me on almost breaking one of the mechanisms. I was an Engineering major but I wasn't entirely used to things like this...which made me feel somewhat useless. He however explained how each of them worked and despite his harsh reaction, he cleared up most of it by explaining how he did things. I soon learned how to reset all of the traps around the perimeter and I was astonished as to how effective they were in keeping the area safe.

I wasn't sure what he used to do before he came here but considering how systematic he's been, he had to have been doing this a long time. I guess when shit gets real, we have to rise to the occasion or fall trying.

Now, I was already dressed for bed and I waited patiently for him to return. True to his word, he returned after making sure that everything was in place for the night. He then tossed me a thick blanket.

"That sweater isn't going to be enough...so stay warm," he said.

I nodded but noticed that he himself did not have a blanket.

"What about you?" I asked.  
"I'll be fine," he replied.

His tone was abrupt and sharp but I wasn't fazed by his attempts at stopping my questions.

"You're going to freeze if you don't have something to keep warm," I said.

He turned away as he doused the lantern.

"Get some sleep; we have a lot of work to do in the morning," he said.

Twenty minutes later, I could hear soft snores but he was also shivering rapidly. I shook my head as I sat up.

_"Keisha was right...he's a stubborn one,"_

I rose to my feet before looking at him. He looked relatively peaceful in sleep but what truly caught my eye was the book in his hand. I carefully reached for it and managed to wiggle it free without waking him. I opened it and much to my surprise, it was his journal. Judging from how old it seemed, I could only determine that it was there before the outbreak even happened.

I skimmed it and much to my horror, I saw what he went through before he even met all of us. His sister went missing? He was forced to kill his own father? His mother died of pneumonia? It was a pretty rough life and considering all of the preparations he made around here as well as the effigies he left around, I could only determine that he truly turned cold when his sister went missing. It was then that I stumbled upon the entry about a woman named Gabrielle West.

He described her very well and I could almost picture her in my mind...until he reached the part where he failed to protect her from the infected. It was then that I realized why he was so reluctant to accept Lillian and I; he didn't want to feel the pain of loss if he failed again...

I felt a few tears fall from my eyes as I placed the book in front of his hands. Knowing full well that he would probably wake up and realize that I might've went through it, I decided to be the nicer person. I climbed into the bed and threw the blanket over the both of us before scooting close to him. Much to my surprise, his eyes opened and he looked at me.

"What do you think you're doing?" he said.  
"Stop being a moron and huddle up; you'll freeze to death if you remain like that," I snapped at him.

He tried to retort but I gave him my angriest stare.

"Your face is pale and you were shivering damn near uncontrollably the whole time so don't even try to change my mind...now go back to sleep and stop being Mr. Hero," I snapped again.

He looked at me in astonishment before smiling slightly.

"You're just like Leah..." he said softly.

Much to my surprise, he opened his arms and allowed me to climb into them. He locked his arms, still shivering but not as frantically as before.

"I'm...sorry for being stubborn...I'm not used to having company here at all," he said softly.

The heat felt great now that we were sharing.

"It's survival 101," I said rolling my eyes.

I was so thankful that he wasn't a pervert.

"Thank you Nicole...for coming back for me," he said.  
"Don't mention it...now go to sleep," I replied.  
"It's been too long...since I've had restful sleep," he mumbled.

Before I could say another word to him, he drifted off once more. I smiled as I leaned closer to him, relishing in the warmth.

_"You're welcome...you won't have to feel the pain of loss again...I'll do my best to not be a burden..."_

* * *

**Wow this was a long chapter but with so much to try and cram, I think I did okay. Special thanks to zipscool and and Jen Jen Yuki for their submissions.**

**To Jen Jen Yuki, thanks for being here for me and yes, you are the winner of the female lead contest. You thought I wouldn't choose you and I nearly didn't...but then I thought long and hard about it.**

**Till next time my friends.**

**~Letters**


	6. Journal Entry 1: Nicole Namisaki

**(A/N): Let's follow this up quickly shall we? Thanks zipscool for pointing out the mistakes I made last chapter because I realized that I did not upload the right document.**

**I have a rather strange habit of making two copies of the same document, using the first one I did as a reference point and then I make any changes so I can see the difference in the finished product. Turns out, I didn't upload the finished product. You'll see a few changes in the dialogue in the previous chapter if you haven't seen them already.**

**Let's get right back to it.**

* * *

**Journal Entry #1: Nicole Namisaki**

* * *

_I guess it shouldn't surprise me that Kit would work me hard. The past three weeks have been murder but after the first one, I began to get the hang of it. I was dumbfounded with how systematic Kit was with his mapping as traps and it really made me wonder how he was able to maintain all of this on his own. Then again...he was doing it longer than I have and when the need to survive gets desperate, people will do just about anything to stay ahead of the game._

_Kit took the liberty of showing me the whole layout on his map as well as showing me the trapping mechanisms right down to how each trap worked. As an Engineering Major in college, I was fascinated by what he came up with and by about the fourth day into the first week, it became a simple chore for me to put traps back to the way they were. Though I wasn't anywhere near as fit as he was, I somehow managed to keep pace with him. Then again...he was always nice enough to wait up for me if I fell behind._

_Speaking of nice...I don't know how to describe his attitude. After that night when I climbed into his bed and forced him to stop being a hero, he treated me ok on some days while just outright cruel on others. He made it a mandate that he teach me Jeet Kune Do three times a week and for me to train four times a week to get into shape so that he wouldn't have to slow down for me. I wasn't against the idea...but his training regiments were a thing of nightmares._

_Whatever kind of sensei he had was certainly a hardass but I was thankful that he was; it helped to shape Kit into the survivor he is now. I can't remember the last time I slept without sore muscles and feeling completely exhausted. It was beginning to pay off though; I was actually becoming able to keep up with him when he was on his usual runs to check traps and the like.  
_

_One particular exercise that appalled me though was him teaching me how to combat the infected. He took me near the main river, the sector just before we reached what everyone called "No Man's Land", which was the area where the infected crowded up. He taught me about the different levels of mutations, from the human-like Runner to the terrifying Clicker and finally the hulking Bloater. _

_Runners were the easiest to deal with individually but once they begin to gather up, it would quickly turn to a one sided fight. Clickers respond only to sound and it was only then that I realized the reason he was training me so much; Clickers were the one kind of infected that I stood no chance of fighting if I were alone. They were much stronger than the rest of them and if I got grabbed, I was as good as dead. I didn't have the strength to fight one off so he taught me to always use sound to my advantage, demonstrating by throwing large rocks and discarded debris to distract them before moving onto the next spot. The Bloater however was the most difficult lesson and he told me the only way to defeat them effectively was to set them ablaze. Considering that we carried no gasoline on us usually, a Bloater was a flee on sight order for me. His lessons not only prepared me for them but it also gave me insight as to why he was so inherently cruel to strangers; becoming infected was a fate much worse than death and preventing that from happening to yourself was a mandate for basically anyone...who hasn't gone off the deep end._

_All training regiments aside though...Kit very rarely spoke to me, usually only in instruction rather than personal. He never once brought up that night when I forced him to cuddle me for warmth but I guess he was a man who thought very little of sentiments...especially after what he went through at the prison. The way the looters tortured him...even though he said it was barely a scratch, I knew he was in very deep pain inside. His heart was encased in ice and considering that he was basically the last of his family, he had every reason to be cold. Trust is a resource in itself and I could only conclude that it took Keisha a lot of talking and convincing to get him to trust her for the gas and food trade. Even though he went through of that...I still can't help but think that he's just a little too cold. I'm living with him every day and I'm not a slave nor a child to be ordered around. I'm a human being and I have my own train of thought as well. I guess that side got the better of me considering the huge fight we had an hour ago...where I refused to help him move furniture into the building after being pushed to near exhaustion earlier._

_He doesn't strike me as the type to hold a grudge though...I'm sure it'll blow over in a few days._

_I really began to miss Keisha and Lillian...I still can't believe it happened. Keisha was fine up to when we got to the compound. Once we managed to get past the traps and pull up, Keisha started to fade. She helped us unload all of the supplies but considering how weak she was, I knew that it wouldn't have been long. An hour passed after we saw the flare and when we saw no sign of Kit, I decided to go and look for him with Lillian. It was then...that Keisha came out of the storage room and charged at me, snapping at my neck in an attempt to rip it open. Lillian saved me...kicking her off of me and ordering me to go find him. Considering that Lillian was unarmed and that she was exhausted after unloading everything from the truck, I didn't have a good feeling of leaving her there but she told me she'd be fine.  
_

_That was when I drove...I drove like I had never driven before and I happened to stumble onto him. When we returned, we found Keisha's body...stabbed numerous times but Lillian...Lillian was in an even worse state. Keisha had broken through her defenses and gotten to her flesh and a lot of her collarbone was exposed...literally. She was turning slowly...while bleeding to death. I couldn't bring myself to finish her...so Kit did it for me. I did my best to hide my feelings because I knew it would do nothing but annoy him considering how weak I already appeared when I came back for him...but it was hard to hide it all._

_I'm pretty thankful I have this little book back from my time in London...it really helps me cope and I certainly hope to write in this more as the days come._

_Till next time,  
_

_Nicole._


End file.
